None.
Not Applicable.
This invention relates to medical devices in which medical benefits are achieved through the application of vibratory force to a patient""s body. More particularly, the present invention is a portable hand-held massage unit which may be used to loosen and to mobilize bronchial secretions in the patient""s body, or used to apply force to various parts of a body such as the legs, to improve the circulation of blood, mobilize edema fluids, or to relax muscles, while simultaneously reducing the level of vibration felt by the user holding the unit.
In the prior art, various methods and devices have been employed for these purposes. One method used to loosen bronchial secretions is hand massage and percussion. Hand massage techniques require a nurse or other attendant to use his or her hands to strike the back or chest of the patient to cause a loosening of secretions within the patient""s lungs. This can be painful, and may result in broken ribs or severe bruises, especially in infants and elderly patients. Additionally, the hand may be cupped prior to striking the back or chest of the patient, providing a suction at the point of impact. Such cupping however, can similarly result in bruises and broken bones, and is considered by many to be ineffectual.
Percussion type massagers have also been used to loosen bronchial secretions. In their use, the massager is placed upon the back or the chest of the patient, and the massager is operated such that a vibrating member is forced in and out towards the patient. This percussion-type movement loosens the bronchial secretions, but does not mobilize the secretions to move them out of the congested area.
Another type of massager unit that is used is the oscillation type, in which the vibrating member rotates about an axis perpendicular to the chest or back of the patient when it is applied. This type of unit provides a massaging circular oscillation force to the body but does not give percussion to loosen the secretions so that they may be mobilized. Additionally, the parallel force is in a circular pattern rather than unidirectional.
Percussion-type and oscillation-type massagers have additionally been employed to improve blood circulation. However, these massaging devices do not provide a uni-directional impulse to blood flowing in a vessel and the oscillation-types furthermore have their principle vibratory effect near the surface level of the skin and do not have a substantial effect upon deeper venuous flow. Previously, to improve blood circulation an attendant would wrap his or her hands around a patient""s ankle and then move them upward, pressing tightly at the same time, in order to squeeze blood flow in the direction of the heart. This is a very difficult procedure, and strenuous work on the part of the attendant. Alternating pressure belts have been used to provide similar results in leg circulation. The belts consist of a series of air bags wrapped around the patient""s leg, each continuously going through the cycle of having pressure increase from the bottom of the leg towards the top, such that there is a squeezing impulse forcing the blood flow up the leg towards the heart. These systems are complex, and requiring difficult synchronization and the total encasement of the patient""s legs.
Similar problems arise in the prior art techniques used to relax muscles which have become tense and stiff due to a build-up of lactic acid in the muscle tissue resulting from an inability to rapidly eliminate waste products. Prior art massagers apply percussion or oscillation motion to the muscle, but do not give a continual directional stroke to the muscle to mobilize the waste produces in a direction consistent with the normal direction of blood flow in the muscle.
Regardless of the type of procedure in which these various percussion-type and oscillation type massage unit are employed, these devices all transmit a significant amount of the vibratory energy produced to the hands of the user through the housing Long term exposure to these vibrations on the part of a nurse or attendant using these massagers on a regular basis can result in repetitive motion type injury, including the development of Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. Additionally, the transmission of significant vibrations back through the massage device can reduce the useful service life of the device by producing excessive wear and tear on the bearings associated with the drive motor.
The prior art has attempted to deal with these problems, for example, the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,334, manufactured by the assignee of the present invention incorporates a transmission cable between the motor drive shaft and the vibrating components, reducing the level of vibration in the motor and housing, but significantly increase the bulk of the device, and often requiring a separate stand or support for the motor housing.
Among the several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
The provision of a new and improved massage unit for applying oscillatory motion to a patient""s body;
The provision of the aforementioned massage unit in which the massage unit is a self-contained portable unit;
The provision of the aforementioned massage unit in which vibrations produced by the oscillatory motion are isolated from the user""s hands;
The provision of the aforementioned massage unit in which a counterweight reduces the vibrations transmitted to the user""s hands by counterbalancing an off-center mounting of the oscillating components;
The provision of the aforementioned massage unit in which the counterweight is located adjacent the off-center mounting to isolated the vibrations of the oscillating components and to reduce multi-axial twisting;
The provision of the aforementioned massage unit in which the oscillating components are directly driven by a motor output shaft;
The provision of the aforementioned massage unit in which various adapters may be attached to the oscillating components; and
The provision of the aforementioned massage unit in which a right-angle adapter may be attached to the oscillating components to produce a percussion-type motion.
Briefly stated, the portable massage unit of the present invention is used for therapeutic purposes such as to loosen and mobilize bronchial secretions in patients, to improve blood circulation, and to relax muscles. The hand-held massage unit includes a vibration-free motor unit having a rotating output shaft directly connected to a vibratory head assembly. The rotational motion of the output shaft is transformed into oscillating orbital motion about the shaft centerline in the adapter portion of the vibratory head assembly by means of an offset cam integrally formed as part of a counterbalanced eccentric. Counterweights within the eccentric reduce the vibrations transmitted to the user""s hand and isolate the oscillating vibration of the vibratory head assembly. Undesired rotation of the vibratory head assembly is prevented by means of a rubber boot secured between the oscillating adapter components and a stationary portion of the vibratory head assembly secured to the motor unit. Applicators suitable for various medical need may be secured to the adapter components, including a right-angle applicator capable of converting the oscillating vibrations into a percussion-type motion.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention as well as presently preferred embodiments thereof will become more apparent from the reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings.